No. 668 Squadron RAF
Encyclopedia
No. 668 Squadron RAF was a glider
squadron of the Royal Air Force
active during the Second World War.
. It continued to train, as part of No. 343 Wing RAF, until the surrender of Japan
, when it became surplus to requirements. The squadron was disbanded on 10 November 1945 at Fatehjang
.
Military glider
Military gliders have been used by the military of various countries for carrying troops and heavy equipment to a combat zone, mainly during the Second World War. These engineless aircraft were towed into the air and most of the way to their target by military transport planes, e.g...
squadron of the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
active during the Second World War.
History
No. 668 Squadron RAF was formed on 16 November 1944 at Calcutta, (then) British India as a glider squadron, with the intention of being used for airborne operations by South East Asia CommandSouth East Asia Command
South East Asia Command was the body set up to be in overall charge of Allied operations in the South-East Asian Theatre during World War II.-Background:...
. It continued to train, as part of No. 343 Wing RAF, until the surrender of Japan
Surrender of Japan
The surrender of Japan in 1945 brought hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent...
, when it became surplus to requirements. The squadron was disbanded on 10 November 1945 at Fatehjang
Fateh Jang
Fateh Jang is a town and the tehsil headquarters of Attock District in the Punjab province of Pakistan...
.
Present
The squadron today is represented by 668 Squadron of 2 (Training) Regiment, Army Air Corps.Aircraft operated
| From | To | Aircraft | Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 1945 | April 1945 | Waco Hadrian Waco CG-4 The Waco CG-4 was the most widely used United States troop/cargo military glider of World War II. It was designated the CG-4 by the United States Army Air Forces, and named Hadrian in British military service.... |
|
| August 1945 | November 1945 | de Havilland Tiger Moth De Havilland Tiger Moth The de Havilland DH 82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and was operated by the Royal Air Force and others as a primary trainer. The Tiger Moth remained in service with the RAF until replaced by the de Havilland Chipmunk in 1952, when many of the surplus aircraft... |
Mk.II |
Squadron bases
| From | To | Base |
|---|---|---|
| 16 November 1944 | 4 February 1945 | Calcutta Kolkata Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India... , Bengal Bengal Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous... , British India |
| 4 February 1945 | 30 April 1945 | Lalaghat/Rajyeswarpur, Bengal, British India |
| 30 April 1945 | 28 June 1945 | Belgaum Belgaum Belgaum is a city and a municipal corporation in Belgaum district in the state of Karnataka, India. It is the fourth largest city of the state of Karnataka, the first three being Bangalore, Mysore, Hubli-Dharwad.... , Karnataka Karnataka Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava... , British India |
| 28 June 1945 | 5 July 1945 | Fatehjang Fateh Jang Fateh Jang is a town and the tehsil headquarters of Attock District in the Punjab province of Pakistan... , Punjab Punjab region The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi... , British India |
| 5 July 1945 | 21 August 1945 | Upper Topa Camp, Punjab, British India |
| 21 August 1945 | 10 November 1945 | Fatehjang Fateh Jang Fateh Jang is a town and the tehsil headquarters of Attock District in the Punjab province of Pakistan... , Punjab, British India |